Offseason Outlook: The Lions Top 5 Needs/Wants
Offseason Outlook: The Lions Top 5 Needs/Wants
We have finally come to one of the most snake-bitten franchises in the league in the Detroit Lions. They have almost always seemed to have a talented team or at the very least some very talented players. Yet, year in and year out they can’t get over the hump in the NFC North let alone the NFC as a whole. In Matthew Stafford’s ten years at the helm, they have made the playoff only three times and all those followed a first-round exit in the Wildcard round. This team has a solid core of players on offense and a couple of possible stars on defense. Yet as the other teams before them they need a lot more help to get in the playoff conversation first.
Detroit Lions
Wants
Cornerback
Safety
Defensive end
Wide Receiver
Running back
Needs
Improved play from secondary
Improved play from the front four
Healthy running back position
Improved tight end play
A complimentary wide receiver for Golladay
Cornerback
Darius Slay is a monster at cornerback. He is one of the true top tier corners in the game and he can lock up most number one receivers in the game. The slot cornerback Justin Coleman is coming off a solid season in his first year with Detroit. He might not have that many interceptions or pass breakups, but he is good in coverage and solid against the run. On the other boundary side though, there is much to be improved. There was a rotation of options that tried to find the role of number 2. All with mixed impact. This offseason the Lions need to solidify the secondary starting with a good number two corner. If they can do that, it will help the front seven in terms of pass rush and not giving up too many big plays. They give up 33 touchdowns in coverage last year to only seven interceptions, something needs to change. My options are releasing a few guys not named Slay, Coleman, Agnew, and Melvin. You can add in a solid free agent and then draft a guy high in either the first or second round. I like Trae Waynes as a solid number two since his days over in Minnesota. Then you add a rookie like Jeff Okudah or AJ Terrell, and you have a solid cornerback room going forward.
Defensive end
If there is any other position that is ok, but needs an upgrade, it is a defensive end for some pass rushing. The team finished with 31 sacks on the year, which leads much to be desired. When you factor in what the defensive line contributed there is only 16 sacks to show. That type of production just won’t cut it in a league where there is so much passing. You especially can’t last in the NFC North with that production when you face guys like Aaron Rodgers and Kirk Cousins twice a year. The best option for them is to draft a young premier pass rusher if possible and maybe sign a lower tier guy in free agency to help add to a mix of guys. They already have a solid run stuffer/pass rusher in Trey Flowers. You add in a free agent like Arik Armstead or Shaq Lawson that will help boost them both inside and outside. Then add in a premier guy like Chase Young or AJ Epenesa in the first round and you have a recipe for a solid core of guys for the future. I really would like the pickup of Arik Armstead because that would help both inside and on the edge when it comes to the pass rush. He can play end on first and second then kick in on third down. This would allow them to have more pass rushers to get after the quarterback.
Healthy Running back
In 2018, the future was looking very bright with the emergence of Kerryon Johnson. He was the first 100-yard rusher for the team in a while. Then he looked to be on the verge of being a 1,000-yard rusher for the team. That would have been the first since they had Reggie Bush at running back. Then the unfortunate injury caught up with Johnson the end of that year and after only five games this past year. He has shown a lot of promise but has yet to deliver on it in recent seasons. Hopefully, 2020 can be the year he gives the Lions a stable backfield in which to help Matthew Stafford. If he can’t or the Lions don’t trust his ability to stay healthy, they can add another back whether it be free agency or the draft. I like a back like Melvin Gordon who can come in immediately and be a three-down back for the Lions while allowing Kerryon to be a secondary option in which he can also play all three downs. The Lions can have something similar to what the Browns had this past season in Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt. They can also opt into the idea Kerryon will be healthy and just give him some help in the running game with a draft pick like Jonathan Taylor or Clyde Edwards-Helaire. Both of these backs are not known for their receiving prowess but are forces when it comes to running where it be inside or outside the tackles.
-By: Darren Braxton
Writer/Interviewer